How To Make Money From Home
Let’s face it, in our current economic climate, a steady pay packet seems to be a thing of the past. In fact 4.8 million of the UK’s population have listed themselves as ‘self-employed’ or freelancers in ONS ( Office For National Statistics) 2017 ’employment survey’ meaning that there are more of us trying to stand out from the crowd. We all dare to dream but for many of us the road to success is a long and fractured road. While some ‘give up’ the freelance lifestyle because of its lack of ‘steady income’ for many being self-employed is a way of retaining creative and administrative control over our own business ventures. As my readers know I quit my full time job to go blogging full time two weeks ago and the relief of leaving an office environment has been palpable. Yet already I can see a noticeable dent in my bank balance and have feared that the situation will only get worse as time goes by. But do not fear yet, I have been through enough periods of financial difficulty to know that at the end of the storm comes a rainbow and I am confident that over time we can all live out our dreams and become the person that we have always wanted to be.
One of the most common questions that I have been asked by readers is how to make money from home, alongside their blog as a ‘supportive side hustle’. Below I have listed 10 ways to make money from home that can help you elevate your blog or business and passion to the next level, using the extra pennies you have earned along the way.
Brick Lane Street Art
- Sell Unwanted Clothes/ Products On Ebay and Depop
One look at my room and it looks like it has exploded with clothes. The truth is I have far too many clothes so I am reverting back to what I did in the beginning of my ‘blogging career’ and am listing items online to sell. Not only will this result in you having a tidier and more minimalist house but selling your unwanted clothes, even if it is for a fraction of the price will allow you to supplement your blogging income with some extra cash. Plus the way I see it, if you like me spend your blogging income on rent, travel, bills and food, earning money through selling unwanted clothing, DVDS and more online will allow you have a little extra money to spend on luxuries like nights out, meals at restaurants and more optional activities.
Plus if you are based in the UK and want a courier service that can deliver your items to your ‘clients’ or are even expecting a parcel in return Parcel2go can help you send parcels to over 180 countries worldwide, without the hefty shipping costs. Not only does it compare couriers and come up with the best service to suit your financial and time-related needs but it also gives you service from your doorstep and can help you beat the queues too!
2. Earn Money By Taking Part In Reward Programs Like Swagbucks
Swagbucks is the worlds most popular rewards programme and gives you free gift cards and cash for things you already do online. While you can earn points by shopping at your favourite retailers or even through that cheeky takeaway pizza place you have been craving all week, you can also earn points through watching videos, playing games and answering surveys. Please note, you can kicked out in the middle of a survey if you are not deemed suitable for their target demographic so just be wary of that. You can also redeem points for gift cards to your favorite retailers like Amazon and Walmart or get cash back from Paypal.
Brick Lane Street Art
3. Start Your Own Blog/ Website
Of course as a blogger I would wholly recommend starting your own blog but only treat it like a business if you are thinking of going blogging full time. Blogging is hard work and it can be difficult to make a living from blogging straight away so just remember to have patience and faith, when turning your blog into a money making business. At first it might be difficult to get a steady income as you are still treading the waters but as I established in 35 Blogging Groups & Platforms That Pay You To Blog , there are plenty of groups and blogging platforms that can help you keep your business afloat.
It’s not just starting your own blog that can be a great source of income but setting up your own business website too. Whether that be a self-funded fashion line or an Etsy shop, the possibilities of making money online are as endless as the opportunities that you create.
4. Make Money Through Filling Out Surveys
While I mentioned Swagbucks, I listed it as a ‘rewards program rather than a survey portal’ because you can earn money through shopping as well as surveys, which in traditional survey portals you cannot. While surveys are not paid very much (between £3- 5 in most cases) over time you will notice that you will create a stable emergency fund providing you complete surveys on a regular basis. Some of the most popular surveys include Toluna, YouGov, Vivatic, MySurvey, Crowdology, Valued Opinions, IPSOS, Global Test Market, The Opinion Panel, Pinecone, OnePoll, SurveyBods, PopulusLive, Hiving, PanelBase, MintVine, Opinion Outpost, Harris Poll, Mind Mover, New Vista, iPoll.
While there are plenty more, according to market research these survey portals garner the best chance at creating ‘extra’ much needed income, alongside your blog or alternative business venture.
Brick Lane Street Art
5. Get Paid For Searching The Web
Qmee was something I had only just recently come across and unlike Swagbucks where you are often paid in gift cards, Qmee rewards you by paying you for your ‘Google, Bing and Yahoo searches’. All you have to do is install an add on chrome extension to your browser tab and the next time you conduct a search there will be some sponsored results alongside your normal search. Each Qmee result has a cash reward attached – if you are interested in it simply click on it and collect your reward. Even better unlike affiliate programmes like Like To Know It, there is no threshold and you can get paid even if you have only earned a pound. What makes Qmee unique is how you are also given the choice to give to charity if you would like to!
You can also earn money through surveys but it is not very well paid so I would stick to the Google search premise.
6. Get Paid For Reviewing Google Locations
Companies like Youdirectories pay you for writing short, positive reviews on Google locations, whether they be cafes or shops and in return you will get a small payout. While it might be between 10-15 a go, over time you will build up an extra piggy bank that might help on rainy days or when you are just craving a ‘me-time treat’. Essentially it is classed as ‘mystery shopping assignments’ and is paid directly into your bank, which might be handy if you are constantly in your overdraft like I always am.
While there are other ‘mystery shopping assignments’ you have the best chance of getting accepted and paid with youdirectories. Plus if you are accepted as a brand ambassador they will send you assignments whenever they are available and payout is quick too.
Brick Lane Street Art
7. Sell Your Photos
As bloggers, for many of us we might use stock photos or create our own photos which others might be willing to buy for a reasonable price. Whether it is a photo tutorial for a ‘cake recipe’ that a magazine SEO expert is after or a blog photo that is visually appealing, sites like Fotolia or istockphoto allow you to upload photos for free to stock websites. For example if I was to type ‘street art’ in Fotolia I would see that while there is a demand for ‘street art stock photos’ it is far more niche than a result for ‘pink’ which obtains more search results. This means that its a mix of being in demand but niche which will make it more likely to generate profit from your photos.
8. Earn Money Through Social Networking Apps
While you can make money through Instagram and Facebook, there are other social networking apps that you make a little extra cash from to fund your morning coffee. Apps like Bagaloo are social sharing networks that earn you cash (via Paypal) for other users liking and viewing your posts and is available on Google Play and Apple App Store. What’s more you ‘can nominate’ hero charities that you would like to donate your proceeds too as well as getting paid to use the app too. While you can create an account online, the app will make it easier to share posts and interact with other users in order to get paid.
9. Create Your Own Online Course
Whether you can teach people to grow their social media following or run cooking class tutorials, creating your own online course ‘teaching skills’ you specialize in is a great way of earning money alongside your blog or business. For example say you decide to run an Instagram marketing course and people pay a nominal fee to enter, it will over time create more clients for you and help you build up a more steady source of income. What you need to bear in mind is that there are so many courses out there so the best way to create ‘money’ is to identify a gap in the market and look at what you can do ‘to fill that market gap’
Brick Lane Street Art
10. Write A Book/ E-Book
Maybe you have a story to tell or want to write a book to help others i.e. how to make money from home and have decided to write a book on the ‘subject’. As scary as it sounds, writing a book is a great way of building up income over time and even if it is just pennies at first, over time you might generate a steady source of income. At the end of the day, even if you don’t generate much profit at least you tried and trying when it comes to making money from home is the best way to succeed in our industry.
While there are many other ways to make money from home such as risk- free matched betting and online trading, above are opportunities I have either carried out myself or have been thinking of doing.
How Do You Make Money From Home?
*Disclaimer
Collaborative Post With Parcel2go. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
These are all great suggestions! One that I had never heard of is Get Paid For Reviewing Google Locations. It sounds interesting! Thanks.
This is a really useful post and there are some excellent ideas on making money at home.
Currently making money from home through freelancing blogging/content marketing services! Trying to earn some from surveys and eventually courses/ebooks on my blog.
these are some good ideas, i like the qmee one, i didn’t know you could earn money by searching the web. the blogging one also made sense because there are ways to get paid to blog.
Some great tips here! I use Populus myself and only got a cheque last month and am going to get one next month too! So handy to build up that emergency fund as you say!
These are fab ideas, I am signed up to swagbucks and various survey sites but haven’t done anything for ages
Very informative! A shame that some of those only work from certain locations so you can’t really make money while traveling… but hey, you can’t have everything can you! Oh, and I had no idea that one can get paid for writing google reviews, makes me wonder how accurate they actually are.. xx
Lots of great suggestions here for people to explore and pursue depending on their interests, skills and talents. I think it’s important to explore everything you can but then decide what you really would like to do and stick with that. If you select something you really love to do, even better, as it makes it all the more fulfilling.
Those are some excellent ideas listed out there and am pursuing (blogging..) one of the listed ones these days. Really enjoying and will try swagbucks too 🙂
Thanks for sharing!
Those are great tips how to make many from home, this is definitely helpful for mom and individuals who opt to earn while looking after their love ones. You can also count in those home base job which are available from different jobs platform. Thanks for all these ideas.
Wow, Me and my wife had been worried how to manage our finances as I want to pursue my passion for writing full throttle. I am now a little relieved that we have multiple options available to choose from. Thank you so much for this information post.
I looove all of your suggestions. I’m a stay-at-home mom and I also do freelance work on the side. will definitely check out swagbucks and Qmee 🙂
Wow I didn’t know that there are so many things I can do to earn extra money for my family. I wanted to help my husband save more so we can build our own house. I already started searching on the internet the ways on how I can earn while being a full-time mom. Thankfully, you’ve shared this, I don’t need to look further because I already learned a lot from here.
Some great ideas here. I think everyone could find one that would work for them, I love how you have catered for people with different skills.
These are such good ideas – and a much better use of time than flicking through the TV channels;s!
Great tips, I do sell items on Facebook groups and Ebay sometimes to make some extra money x
Thanks for these tips, really need additional income as I’ve barely made anything from my blog. Would look to sell some of my stuffs on eBay.
Wow I’ve learnt so much! I had no idea about most of these ways to earn money from home – thank you for such an informative post 🙂
Thanks for this. I’m saving to research a bit more. There will be a time when I need to go full-time from home, so this is very helpful.
Fab tips! I do earn a bit from my blog. Not always, but sometimes I do get good campaigns that pay well 🙂 Now if only they happened more often 😉
Some great tips to earn some money at home – I hadn’t heard of the majority of these so found this post really useful
Some great ideas! Being a Photographer I should definetly try and sell my photographs
There are so many ways to make money from home now, I’m really tempted to make the move from part time blogger to a full time one x
Some fab ideas here – obviously I mainly use the blog method but if I had more time I would definitely be looking into some of these other routes like being paid to search the web.
All such good ideas! I used to do some Mystery Shopping, there’s loads of companies out there so sign up to a few! I admire your patience for eBay selling as well, my last clearout all got shipped to charity shops out of laziness!
Good read! These are definitely good ways to earn money at home.
Love the post, you’ve made some great suggestions! I sometimes use Swagbucks and do some surveys on some other sites but that’s about it. I like the idea of reviewing google locations for a small price!
I’m always looking for ways to earn more side money so I’ll definitely try some of these. I’m already signed up to some of the survey sites. I always save my money up until the end of the year and use it for Christmas shopping.
These are some great ideas for making from home, it is amazing all the different things you can do to help with the bills from the comfort of your own home.
I have never actually thought about selling my photos before! Wicked idea to earn some extra money!
xxx
There are definitely plenty of opportunities for those to make money from home if you know where to look! We regularly clear out our stuff and sell on local selling sites or ebay, if no other reason than to stay clean and decluttered but it does provide an excellent opportunity to get some money back!
I left the office for the last time today 🙂 it’s a good feeling!
So many good ideas and ones that I need right now as I’m on maternity leave! I love the idea of reviewing google locations as it seems really easy.
Really great post, thank you! I spent quite a lot today on things I needed for my business, so then went to my wardrobe to see what I could put on eBay to help pay for it!
I never realised there were so many ways to make money from things like ‘filling out surveys’.
These are great tips for earning online. I didn’t really know most of these, so good to know. Thanks
Some brilliant tips here! You never know when you may need that extra income so its handy to have a list like this to check back on when in need
I do ebay, local selling, swagbucks, surveys you name it I try ! Always looking for extra cash ! These are great tips for people starting out x
One that I’ve been telling people about is becoming a VA (Virtual Assistant). There is such a great demand for good VAs .. and it’s definitely a job that someone can do from home. The other cool thing about it is, there are so many different tasks a VA can do. Everything from managing Pinterest content, to helping with Social Media Groups, to doing research for a blogger. Also, depending on the tasks, you might even to be able to set your own hours. x
Selling old clothes and items on Depop/Ebay is a great idea and has made me some extra money in the past! Great ideas 🙂
They are great tips for anyone looking to supplement income. I didn’t realise some were an option but it’s nice to know there are plenty of ways for anyone to try and make a few extra bob online!
These are all great ways that will surely help bloggers and soon-to-be bloggers. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for all these tips and suggestions. i am currently in the process of opening an etsy shop and it is nerve wrecking. I am only blogging as a hobby atm, but they say dream big, am I right?!
Nice tips and ideas. I was not knowing about Youdirectories and I will try for it.
I’m always looking to make a little bit extra online so I loved reading this post! I really want to look into doing Istock photos!
Great tips here and on the links to other pages. As a freelancer myself it get full on or worryingly quiet st times
I had no idea there were so many ways to make money from home!
It is a dream of mine to write my own book. My husband knows about this dream and every so often prods me to get started. I know he believes I have a talent in creative writing, but I just need time and a conducive atmosphere to work on it. Thanks for these tips on how to make money from home. I will check out the other options too.
Great article, thank you for these ideas. They are all definitely something to consider in the future!
Some great suggestions here.My son is home from Uni with a student loan to pay off. He is popping some of his old things on Ebay to try and get some money.
These are great ways to earn money from home, but I think it’s important people realise that these things do take effort. Blogging is definitely hard work
I have a friend that makes a really good income from buying and selling stuff on eBay. I don’t have the patience for it though.
Some really fab suggestions, I love the Depop app and find it really simple to use 🙂
Apart from blogging, I have written a book and I am looking to offering some online courses. Do you have any suggestions on which platform to use to create courses online?
Currently working on my own blog to bring in extra income. However, I must admit — it is not easy but I definitely like the flexibility
People are asking how to make money online? The answers are here already. For me ebay and ebook have such great opportunies. Do not throw old stuffs in the trash I am pretty sure you can easily find a buyer on ebay who is waiting for them. Also publish an ebook on amazon is a great way to make money
Some really great tips here, I may have to try some and get some money for rainy days x
Great tips! We are just at the stage of starting to make money with the blog. Writing a book is defo something I want to do!
Great ideas! I think everybody is always looking for ways to make a little extra. Hope it works out for you.
(hubby helping out)
Really useful post, lovely! I’ve never heard about Swagbucks. Will look into it.
What a nice and mind blowing article i didn’t know that we could earn money by Selling Photos. Thanks for sharing this
Esthy
https://www.facebook.com/MoneyNuggets/
I thought I knew about most ways to earn money online, but there are some new ones here. Thanks!
These are some really good ideas. I always plan on selling my photos but never actually did it. Your post might have motivated me to get on that.
Great list of options. There are so many ways to make money from home now…it is an ever growing list. I’ve had some friends also try their hand at teaching English online from home and making a decent income from that as well.
I like to add coupon codes to DealSpotr to earn a little extra. I also use my social media and my blog to share sponsored content.
This is a great list that could help those who are looking for a way to earn from home. would like to add, we can also earn by reviewing calls. The task is simple, we have to listen to pre-recorded conversations and we need to choose the answer from the given choices. Most calls are related to selling cars.
Thank you so much for this list! I do a lot of these–I need to start doing more surveys. I’ve never sold a photo before. I should look more into that. My photos aren’t always the best, but I do have some that have done well.
I recently got into the selling photos one you listed. It’s really not hard to get started!
These are great ways to make some money from home. I have had a lot of fun using Swagbucks. I am always looking for new rewards programs.
I am so thinking more about doing this so I can make more money on the side. I love this post. I am going to try some and let you know how it goes.
There are some great suggestions here! I love filling out surveys, so might give that a go.
Excellent post, amazing list for the needy ones.Well, I have started my Own Blog/ Website to generate income.:)
Creative writing art and DIY items are the best option to make money from home. I am so happy to leave my fix working hours and now doing work hard for my own business only. Inspiring post to read and motivate to others as well.
Such a scary thing to do and you are brave to do so. Thank you for sharing all these tips of ways to make money from home. I’m still working 2 jobs I had a difficult time profiling my blog due to a close friend of mine who passed away. Thank you for sharing these.
This is great yet measured advice. Like any business venture, I reckon, the tricky part is finding the right balance between tomorrow and now ( what will make money now to sustain you and make tomorrow possible); your interests vs the interests of the collective ( pursuing your personal goals vs. the trade off i.e spending your time enabling the interests of others for some compensation) .
Those are the hard questions.
And oh, all the best in your venture.
SO many great ideas, haven’t heard of many of these websites. Alot of avenues to try and get quick money from.
Some great ideas here and definitely some that I could use 🙂 thanks!
I love this article on 10 ways to make money at home! I have a blog, but you offered so many other ideas I can add to my stay at home mix. Thanks!
I am currently trying to optimise every avenue open to me to make an income online. I have tried selling stuff on Ebay and find it is very hit and miss. I think its harder now to sell your stuff for a decent amount of money than ever before. On the other hand you can be lucky and find two people barter for the same item in which case the price keeps going up so its a Win Win for the seller. I had no idea you could sell your photos online its something i’ll look into.
So many great ideas I am currently working – creating my own course and I also think starting a blog is a great way. I tried swag bucks before but at that work out well for me.
I didn’t realize that you could earn money through a social media app. Just having people like your stuff or comment is such a cool way to earn money. As for the rest, they all look like great ideas that I would be willing to try out at some point. Although I am not sure that they would listen to me if I tried to create a course online. I am not even sure what I would teach. Although it would be kind of fun I admit.
I know it is pretty cool right? In terms of a course that you could teach, maybe something along the lines of creative writing or how to write type tutorials as you are a very good writer. Some people might need help with their writing skills!
very good suggestions for everyone – blogging is my only side hustle as i can maximise my free time for that solely i think il get distracted by adding to many so..working plus my blog for now. and hopefully the latter a bit later as i haven’t even done 6 months yet –
I remember reading recently that you quit a traditional job to make money from home. I admire that you can do it. I tried and couldn’t even do it over summer, between jobs. School’s starting back up (I teach) and my finances are very glad, lol. 🙂
Definitely pinned this. I’ve always heard about surveys being a decent route.
These are really great suggestions, I will certainly check them out. Everybody is looking for how to make some extra income added to what ever business they may be doing.
Great suggestions, some I’d never heard of. All these little bits can definitely add up and prove a useful top up to the coffers. Best of luck with your new career. Welcome to the pro blogger club!
It’s a brave step to make the final leap to leave your 9-5 job and be self employed in any industry. Good luck, and I’m sure it will be amazing for you. The extra income from these other ideas will certainly come in handy too, I’m sure! I do a bit of Ebay, Swagbucks and the occasional survey, but I find the surveys quite time consuming.
This is definitely very helpful at this particular moment for me! Thanks for chiming in on the subject!
Great tips! I do try to sell on ebay where possible but I haven’t really tried any of the other ideas. Completely surveys on line sounds like a great way to make money, I have friends who do this and it all adds up!
This post is super helpful for anyone looking out to venture on their own. In fact, there are so many things that I can benefit from, I didn’t know about so many ways listed in here. Thanks for sharing Ana! 🙂 <3
Those are great ideas! I’ve tried some of them and i plan to try the rest. It’s worth i think if we are consistent
This is a great llist for making money from home. I didn’t know you could get paid for reviewing Google Locations. I’ll have to look into that. I love taking photos and I intend on creating another income stream for myself in the near future by selling photos.
These are all great suggestions. Thanks for sharing.